Herbed Wild Rice Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts

I really can’t believe we are in the month of May already. The kids have started their countdown until summer vacation starts, and to be honest so have I. It’s always bittersweet ending another school year and watching your kids grow up right before your eyes – but I truly look forward to not having to set an alarm clock or pack lunches or being on any kind of schedule for a couple of months. Lazy days ahead!!

Warm weather dinners, the kind where most of your food is cooked out on the grill or prepped ahead of time and served chilled, are my favorite. I love the early evenings of summer where the kids are jumping into the pool while I’m getting the grill ready for dinner. We had one of those nights recently, though it was a school night it felt like a carefree summer night. The kids were getting into the pool to swim for the first time this season, and although the water was still a little chilly, they hung in there for a good hour or so going back and forth to the hot tub to warm up every now and then. Seeing them outside having so much fun instantly put me into that summer mood…the one where if I wasn’t pregnant I would have poured myself a glass of chilled white wine or made myself a Captain & (diet) Coke with extra lime and sat in the lounger to watch them play. I settled for a glass of ice water instead. 😉

Grilled chicken (like this Italian Herb Grilled Chicken) and veggies always come into play when that summer mood hits and it just happened to be on the menu that night. That and this unbelievably fresh and delicious Herbed Wild Rice Salad. I actually prepped it earlier in the day while the kids were still at school using leftover rice from the night before’s dinner (glad I made a double batch!) and fresh herbs from my little garden. I swear, I could not stop eating this stuff. It’s dressed very simply with a good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse salt and pepper. But the toasted pine nuts paired with the fresh herbs put this leftover rice over the top.

I see this simple rice salad becoming a staple this summer. I love that you can make it ahead, and change it up based on what you’re serving or what you have (this one I made a few years ago might give you some ideas!). And it’s the absolute perfect side dish to bring to your summer potlucks and barbecues.